Cathay Pacific Accused of Neglecting Young Flyer, Family Seeks Damages

 Lawsuit alleges carrier failed to assist an unaccompanied minor aboard a flight.

The family of a 12-year-old flyer is taking Cathay Pacific to court, alleging the airline allowed the child to be picked up by a stranger when flying as an unaccompanied minor. The South China Morning Post reports the family of Raja Ram Poosaala is suing the airline for HK$1.94 million (US$250,000) for “mental agony.”

According to the family, Poosaala was flying unaccompanied from Hong Kong to India, where he would visit his grandmother. The airline was tasked with supervising the child through arrival, where personnel at Hyderabad International Airport (HYD) would “meet and assist” Poosaala.

However, after an uncle arrived at the airport to meet Poosaala, the child was nowhere to be found. Instead, the relation received a phone call from an unknown person, who claimed to have Poosaala and hung up. Although Poosaala was ultimately reunited with his uncle two hours after arrival, the child told his family that he was met by the man when arriving. The man then told Poosaala to follow him.

SCMP reports: “Two hours after landing the boy emerged, accompanied by a man who left as soon as he saw the uncle. Frightened, the boy told his uncle the man had asked him to follow him upon landing, and that staff did not provide the ‘Meet and Assist’ service as requested.”

The child’s father reached out to the airline to complain about the alleged situation, claiming he requested the additional “meet and assist” service because his child does not understand the local language and is not familiar with India. Furthermore, the father expressed concerns that his child could have been kidnapped, harmed, or used to smuggle illegal goods aboard an aircraft. The boy’s father, Ram Prasad Poosaala, accused the airline of extreme “deficiency of service and gross negligence”.

The family told the South China Morning Post Cathay Pacific offered $200 in compensation before they decided to pursue court action. The airline has not publicly commented on the allegations.

[Photo: Cathay]